Week beginning January 28th - Romanesco and Salsify

Because of last weeks snow and harsh freezing condition there will sadly be no foraged items on this week weeks menu. There are however a couple of unusual winter vegetables that have re-appeared on the market.

Romanesco: is a type of broccoli that grows in a logarithmic spiral, resembling the patterns of storms caught on satellite images, nautilus sea shells and whirlpools. The colour is a pale creamy green and resembles a pixulated cauliflower. Rich in vitaman A, antioxidants and fiber. Sweet, nutty and slightly bitter I've incorporated this wonderful visual vegetable into a salad consisting of wedges of parmesan and spiced slices of blood oranges. A simple sweet Italian salad.

Salsify: a root vegetable with herbal leafy tops. Quite a grubby, thin and long vegetable, but once peeled and washed they reveal an off-white flesh. Ideal for roasting or boiling until tender and once cooked salaify has a subtle oyster flavour. I will be serving them roasted this week with gremolata sauce which is made with finely chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic.

We hope you enjoy this weeks menu as much as we have putting it together and as much as we will enjoy serving it to you.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70
(add 30 p for granola or yogurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Rhubarb and Custard 2.20
Savoury Muffin: Tomato, Oregano and Cheddar 2.20
Peanut and Jelly friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup: Blue Cheese and Celeriac 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Pancetta, Red Pepper Pesto, Tomato, Red Onion and Rocket
Aubergine, Goats Cheese, Sweet Chilli, Thai Basil, Spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 5.00
Ham, Apple Butter, Gherkin, Dijon, Gruyere, Spinach
Roasted Peppers, Red Onion, Tomatoes, Feta, Olive Tepenade, Basil and Rocket

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Chicken Roasted with Pomegranate Molasses and Red Onions served with Haloumi and Cucumber
Romanesco, Parmsan Slices, Blood Oranges Soaked in Chilli and Rosemary
Roasted Salsify with Gremolata

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad

Puff Pastry Parsels with Pork, Fennel Seeds, Mustard Agra Potatoes

Week beginning January 21st - Australia week

This week Kaffeine will be celebrating our 4th Australia day since opening in 2009. Its usually a big deal for us as Peter is Australian and it also coincides with his daughters birthday, who will be turning 3 this Saturday. As always we base our menu on popular Australian ingredients and make a record amount of lamingtons (an Australian/New Zealand delicacy) which we are now taking pre-orders for. Last year we made round 150 lamingtons for Australia day, we're sure this year it'll be a lot more.

We've also incorporated some foraged item in our Australian themed menu, the following is a brief description on a couple of new ingredients.

Scurvy grass: found along coastal areas and places where salt grit are used. This plant thrives on salty soils and shingles. The leaves have a similar taste to horseradish but not quite as strong. Great used in salads, dressing and pestos, this week you'll find it in our 'Mini cod fish cake salad'. The name scurvy grass came from sailors who would preserve the plant in large quantities and feed on it during long voyages. Because of the high amount of vitamin C in scurvy grass this prevented them from scurvy disease which was mostly common among sailors and pirates.

Three Corner Garlic: is a long steamed plant that grows little white flowers and is often mistaken for a white flowered bluebell. The main difference is the lingering smell of garlic. Three corner garlic can be eaten raw or gently cooked, the flavour is a combination of leeks and garlic with a slight fieriness. This week you will find this foraged ingredient in our savoury sweet corn muffins.

Happy Australia week and remember to get your lamington orders in early to avoid disappointment.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70
(add 30 p for granola or yogurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins Blue Berry and Bran  2.20
Savoury Muffins Sweet Corn and Three Corner Garlic 2.20
Peanut and Jelly friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup Lamb and Fosters 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Blue Vein Cheese, Pears, Spinach, Pickled Onions

Smoked Salmon, Lime Cream Cheese, Cucumber, Purple Basil, Rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 5.00
Ham, Balsamic Glazed Apricots, Brie, Rocket

Fosters Rarebit with Mushrooms and Spinach

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Mini Cod Fish Cakes with Scurvygrass, Cucumbers, Pickled Red Chillies and Hollandaise
Kiwi, Goats Cheese, Toasted Cashew Nuts, Quinoa with a Chervil Parsley dressing
Roasted Courgettes with Wilted Sea Beet and Smokey Chilli Oil

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad

Brown Rice and Tuna Bake with Rouille

Week beginning January 14th - Forced rhubarb and Seville Oranges

Forced Rhubarb: Un-like regular rhubarb this particular variety grows best at night, starved of light. In order for the rhubarb to grow you must tease it with very little light like a full moon. The rhubarb will grow forcefully upwards in search for more light. This technique makes for greater delicacy and succulence. Every winter I use raw forced rhubarb in my salads, lending sharp and sour flavours and paired nicely with sweet and/or citrus ingredients.

Seville Oranges: Meaning bitter oranges in English. These amazing oranges are harvested during January and come from a very sunny and dry part Spain, the Cost Del Sol, slightly inland from the most southern point. These oranges have a thick pith and high in pectin which make them ideal for making marmalade or as a marinated on fatty meats and firm fish. 

This week I will be marinating and baking sword fish in seville oranges then serving it with hass avocados, sea beet and poached dried figs. Also keep an eye out for Seville Orange Marmalade which will be available during April, this particular marmalade is best eaten after 3 months of maturing in a dark, cool place. The bitterness of the marmalade mellows slightly and the oil in the skin breaks down which permeates the final product. Well worth the wait.

Please enjoy this weeks menu, because we will enjoy making it and we will enjoy serving it to you.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70
(add 30 p for granola or yogurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Pear and Oat  2.20
Savoury Muffins: Blue Cheese and Celery 2.20
Red Current friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup: Venison and White Bean Soup 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Slow Roasted Beef, Gherkin, Red Onion, Dijon, Gruyere, Spinach
Roasted Red Peppers, Courgette, Red Onion, with Pesto, Rocket

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 5.00
Ham, Red Currant Jelly, Basil, Brie, Rocket
Tomato, Chimichurri, Mozzarella, Spinach

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Sword Fish marinated in Seville Oranges Served with Avocados, Sea Beet and Dried Figs Poached in Buckthorn Juice
Wilted Broad Bean Tops with Pomegranate, Julienne Forced Rhubarb, Blood Orange, Feta and Poppy Seeds
Roasted Turnips tossed in Lady Smock, Wild Horse Radish and Three Corner Garlic

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad

Honey Roasted Aubergine with Yoghurt Sauce

Week beginning January 7th - Lady Smock and Alexanders

Lady Smock is wildly grown through out the United Kingdom and thrives in damp areas. A native perennial that can grow up to 60cm and has small green leaves tinged with purple or red. Lady Smock has a strong mustard flavour with a slight medicinal overtone which leaves your taste buds tingling. Wonderfully paired with sweet, smoky and salty foods. You'll find this weeks potato soda bread tart has been married with lady smock, smoked eel, beetroot, soft boiled quail egg and capers. All inspired from a recent trip to Dublin.

Alexanders was introduced to the UK during the Roman occupation, and by today's standards would have been considered the celery of its time. The flavour of alexanders are sweet and fragrant, similar to cumin. Grown mostly along coastal and estuary areas in very dense patches of up to 300 meters. This week I have lightly blanched them and added the alexanders to a salad loosely based on the Waldorf, less creamy and more sweet, spicy and textural in flavour.

Happy new year and we are sure you will enjoy this weeks menu.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70
(add 30 p for granola or yogurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Raspberry and Coconut 2.20
Savoury Muffins: Eat Your Greens Muffins (Spinach, Courgette, Herbs) 2.20
Red Current friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup: Curried Sweet Potato 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Aubergine, Sweet Chili, Goats Cheese, Thai Basil, Rocket
Pancetta, Glazed Apricots, Brie, Spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 5.00
Ham, Mature Cheddar, Onion Jam, Spinach
Smoked Salmon, Capers, Red Onion, Dill, Aioli, Rocket

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Apple, Alexanders, Blue Cheese and a Spicy Walnut Dressing
Hot Smoked Salmon, Sea Radish Pickled in Tarragon, Baby Spinach, Baby Potatoes and Tartare Dressing
Roasted Parsnips with Red Chilli and a fresh herb sauce

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad

Potato Soda Bread with Creamed Smoked Eel, Beetroot, Soft Boiled Quail Egg, Capers and Lady Smock.

Week beginning January 2nd - Welcome back - Rabbit Soup and Pickled Ramsons

Welcome back, Happy New Year and thank you for being with us once again. We hope you had a good break if you were able to, we certainly did. Very nice thank you. Now, back to business, it's going to be a busy year.

This week we are using pickled Ramsons in our sharon fruit salad which has been made by fermenting the ramsons in salted liquid for several months. Ramsons or wild garlic as it is more commonly known, is a leafy edible stem plant. As the plant matures the stems become thicker and garlic flavours become more pungent and quite literally sent the air where they grow.

Also back on the menu this week is Rabbit soup. I know most people may be unsure at the idea of eating one of Mrs Potter's fury little friends, but the truth is rabbits are delicious and just as beneficial as any other form of protein! You would also be doing the environment and farmers a massive favour by consuming rabbit over a chicken. Trust us, we're chefs....

Here is this weeks menu.


Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70
(add 30 p for granola or yogurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Blue Berry and Bran sweet muffins 2.20
Courgette and Feta savoury muffins 2.20
Red Current friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Whoopie pies 1.80
Christmas Mince Pies 2.00

Lunch
Soup - Rabbit, Rape Greens and Tomato

French retro baguettes 4.90
Tuna, Rouille, Capers, Rocket
Matured Cheddar, Onion Jam, Sweet Potato and Spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 5.00
Ham, Fig, Brie, Rocket
Tomato, Puttanesca, Mozarella, Spinach

Salads 5.50/6.50
Sharon Fruit, Parmesan, Pickled Ramsons, Red Onion, Gherkin, Spinach and Mustard Dressing
Chicken Adobo with Wild Red Rice, Rocket and Coriander
Fennel roasted in Honey, Soy and Sesame

Tart 4.00 or 7.50 with salad
Smoked Haddock and Garden Pea